Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has launched a scathing attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, raising questions over integrity, leadership and accountability as early jostling for the 2027 succession takes shape.
In a statement marked by unusually sharp language, Mr Duale said Kenya “deserves leaders of integrity, not endless controversy,” while outlining a series of past allegations and legal encounters linked to Mr Gachagua.
He pointed to claims of corruption and money laundering that have previously attracted public attention and investigative scrutiny by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, as well as court questions on the source of the former Deputy President’s wealth.
Mr Duale also revisited Mr Gachagua’s 1997 dismissal from the civil service while serving as a District Officer in Laikipia over what he termed gross misconduct, and his 2021 arrest in Nyeri over allegations of money laundering and abuse of office.
“Even the courts have questioned the source of his wealth,” Mr Duale said, adding that leadership must be anchored on transparency and accountability.
He further cited the impeachment of Mr Gachagua as Deputy President, describing it as a historic moment in which constitutional institutions found him unfit for office on grounds including alleged oath violations and divisive conduct.
The CS questioned whether the country could afford leadership “weighed down by persistent integrity concerns,” arguing that public trust must remain central in national leadership.
Mr Duale challenged Mr Gachagua to respond to the allegations directly, saying leaders who seek to shape national discourse must be ready to account for their records in full.
“If he wishes to lecture the nation, he must be ready to answer every question, not just the convenient ones,” he said.
The former Deputy President, who has recently been realigning himself politically following his fallout with President William Ruto, has not publicly responded to Mr Duale’s latest remarks.
However, he has in the past dismissed similar accusations as politically driven attacks aimed at silencing dissenting voices and weakening his growing political influence.
The latest exchange underscores widening fault lines within the Kenya Kwanza administration, as senior leaders increasingly take public positions that reflect emerging political formations ahead of the 2027 polls.
Analysts say the confrontation signals a shift from internal cohesion to open political positioning, with integrity, accountability and succession politics now forming the centre of elite contestation.
As the political temperature rises, the battle for influence appears to be moving beyond policy disagreements into personal and historical scrutiny—an early indication of the intensity expected in the coming election cycle.
